I recently noticed an undeniable difference in how campus makes me feel. Maybe it was the soft pink petals scattered across the pathways or the few hours of sunlight remaining after my 5 p.m. class, but more likely, it was because of the number of people enjoying the lush natural spaces that have unveiled themselves as spring unfolds.
I am greatly affected by the environment that surrounds me. While campus is beautiful every season of the year, my heart can’t help but ache when remembering the cold, leafless trees and grey sky I will be returning to come September — I'm only now getting a glimpse of colour as the school year comes to an end. I am far from the only student who experiences this ache, and as the world becomes increasingly darker, some are looking for new ways to introduce light, colour, and community back into our everyday spaces. Hannah Ramos — a self-taught textile and free-form crochet artist, and the recipient of the UBC Inspire Art Grant — has taken on this mission with her project titled the Woven Grove.
The community-led yarn installation will be installed in early September 2026, infusing vibrant hues into our natural environment through the technique of yarn bombing — a unique form of street art where public objects, structures or natural spaces are covered in knitted or crocheted yarn. Artists yarn bomb public spaces for a number of reasons, including raising awareness of certain causes or making a political statement. In Ramos’s case, the goal is to create an immersive art experience that helps forge deeper community bonds, both in the creation and installation phases of the piece.
Deciding which space to use for the project was not a small task — in an interview with The Ubyssey, Ramos explained that she prioritized finding an area where people gather both often and in large groups to “maximize the amount of crochet happiness” possible. The Bosque, located between the Life Building and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, emerged as the ideal location, situated close to the bus loop and many central buildings of campus. The space is scattered with trees and marked by the footprints of students sprinting to class; it bridges urban space and natural features, creating the perfect intersection for the Woven Grove.
Ramos’s goals for the installation go beyond creating a beautiful space to welcome students back to classes in the fall — she hopes to build the project alongside UBC students and other community members. A post announcing the project on Instagram notes that those hoping to contribute to the project are encouraged to make knitted or crocheted squares. These squares can then be dropped off in a bin at the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, a hub for sustainability work on campus, or at workshops and sessions hosted by Ramos. Through her collaborative and community-based approach, she hopes the project will bring people together in the pursuit of a beautiful piece of art.
Since she began her practice, Ramos has been a fan of upcycling, meaning she works with second-hand materials. Ensuring the health of the environment is one of the project’s primary concerns, namely protecting the health of the trees. In our discussion, Ramos said that she and the other artists will work with a professional arborist throughout the entire installation process. All the materials used will be biodegradable, ensuring the pieces are sustainable and environmentally-conscious.
To kick off the project, Ramos hosted a Crochet & Community evening in February in collaboration with UBC Sprouts, a non-profit, student-run organization that aims to make food accessible to all on campus. The event featured a crochet tutorial led by Ramos, and it welcomed participants of any level of experience, from absolute beginners to crochet veterans. Ramos said it was wonderful to see a group come together to create in this manner, especially considering how many participants were beginners.
Crochet, like many artistic practices, can be a solitary activity. It requires hours of dedication and an intense commitment to the craft, even as things inevitably go wrong or fall apart. Being personally acquainted with the difficulties of learning to crochet, Ramos encouraged participants to work together — the theme of the evening, she said, was to “lean on each other to learn.”
Ramos is continuing this mission with weekly Woven Grove community crochet sessions in collaboration with the UBC Knitting Club. The sessions are, once again, open to everyone, regardless of skill or access to resources. All materials are provided to participants, from hooks to yarn to emotional support. According to the event’s description, the sessions are an opportunity to “slow down, learn something new, and feel connected,” and after attending the session on March 20, I can confidently say they achieved that goal.
Walking into the small but full room of textile artists, I immediately felt welcomed by the Woven Grove community. Ramos eagerly set me up with my first project — creating a five-link chain of yarn. Having had a number of crochet artists in and around my life for several years, I was familiar with some of the concepts. However, after trying time and again — and again — to make the seemingly simple five-link chain, I quickly understood the frustration Ramos had described to me a few days prior.
Ramos encouraged me, as well as other beginner crochet artists in attendance, to push forward. She sat patiently, walking me through every loop and mistake. After about 30 minutes, I successfully completed my first single crochet, which Ramos excitedly displayed to the group. Despite my initial embarrassment, a feeling of pride eventually settled in — although I wasn’t able to contribute a square to the project, the sense of community and collaboration gave me enough confidence to want to return and try again.
Following the workshop, I took a walk through the Bosque and couldn’t help but feel excited about the possibilities of the space. Maybe it wasn’t the pink petals or sunlight after all — simply the thought that, through the transformation of our everyday environments, a new perspective can be unlocked, allowing us to see the beautiful and creative potential that surrounds and lives within us all.
